"I'm really normal. I play football, go to the beach, drive. We have dogs. I can imagine people calling me a character, but I'm Joe Straight"

River Phoenix is highlighting his normalcy in this quote. He is stating that he does the very same things as everybody else, such as playing football, going to the beach, and driving. He likewise points out that he has pets, which is a typical activity for many people. He then acknowledges that some individuals may see him as a character, however he firmly insists that he is just Joe Straight. This quote shows that River Phoenix knew his fame and the understanding of him as a star, but he wanted to make it clear that he was still a regular person. He was not somebody who ran out the ordinary or amazing, however rather someone who was similar to everyone else. He wanted to be seen as a regular person, not a star.